How West Virginia Became a U.S. Leader in Vaccine Rollout

Only a few states in the U.S. have had a successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but the ones that did relied on similar tactics: a centralized operation, local collaborations, and an early reliance on the National Guard to set up clinics. Although these strategies weren't without limitations, they have yielded better vaccination rates than those states that took other routes.

Denmark public health workers have been able to distribute nearly their entire supply of the COVID-19 vaccine thanks in part to early preparation tactics and "a capable health system." Although the country had to procure special freezers and pay more by choosing to move forward with the first vaccine on the market, the success to administer the vaccinations to the public "far outstrips other EU countries."

Alaska has achieved one of the highest vaccination rates in the country due to prioritizing access to the vaccine for rural and Indigenous residents. Using a myriad of transportation efforts – including a fleet of chartered planes, a water taxi drove, and sleds pulled behind snow machines – clinicians have been able to deliver thousands of doses to these remote communities.

A partnership between the White Earth Nation and Mahnomen County in Minnesota has been a key factor in the above-average vaccination rates in the county. Because the county is located within the borders of the White Earth Reservation, which is a sovereign nation, everyone living in the region – regardless of tribal affiliation – has been allowed to obtain the vaccine.

Because Washington state health officials failed to prioritize the planning of basic logistics for disseminating the COVID vaccine, the state quickly fell behind others in vaccinating the most vulnerable and at risk. Realizing that a significant part of the failure stemmed from a reliance on the already overtaxed healthcare sector to deliver the vaccine, the state has since enlisted the National Guard to provide vaccinations at various sites and has seen some improvement.

West Virginia relied on strategic partnerships, collaboration, and efficient use of medicine to successfully outpace every other state in the U.S. in COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Rather than turning to nationally-run chain pharmacies to disseminate the vaccine, the state partnered with local pharmacies to better reach long-term care facilities and collaborated with the West Virginia National Guard to overcome logistical barriers.

Most states in the U.S. are struggling to effectively and efficiently distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, while "West Virginia became the first state to finish round one of the two-dose vaccine series in nursing homes." The key to the state's success included preemptively preparing a vaccination dissemination plan and partnering with independent and chain pharmacies.

Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain have each "vaccinated a higher proportion of their populations than the rest of the world" due to strategies that included early approval of the vaccine, centralized and digitized health care data management, and cross-sector information campaigns. Although it's yet to be seen how these efforts will fare when the vaccine is released to the general public, they have proven to be successful for distribution to vulnerable people and communities.

West Virginia managed to deliver approximately 90% of the COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to the state within a week by "charting its own path to vaccine distribution." Rather than rely on chain stores as part of the vaccination plan every other state has done, the West Virginia government partnered with local pharmacies who were already serving rural populations and long-term care facilities to piggyback off of those already-established relationships.

After facing staffing shortages during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Human Services developed an aggressive emergency hiring initiative ahead of potential new outbreaks. Using third-party staffing agencies and encouraging applicants from all backgrounds – like those recently unemployed from the service industry – the initiative has "provided rapid relief to dozens of nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, group homes, homeless shelters and substance abuse treatment centers."